TLDR;
So, Lenskart and Air India, both got into trouble because of some policies that looked like they were biased against certain religions. People got really angry, protested, and made a lot of noise. Both companies had to come out and say, "Hey, that's not how it is anymore, chill!"
- Lenskart faced protests after a policy restricting religious symbols like tilak surfaced.
- Air India was criticised for a handbook with strict rules on wearing religious symbols, but clarified it was outdated.
- Both companies had to issue statements saying they respect all cultures and beliefs.
Lenskart Controversy Begins [0:00]
Basically, Lenskart, you know, the eyewear brand, got into a bit of a mess because of a policy that seemed a bit off. This policy, it had some rules that people thought were not fair, especially when it came to religion. A woman shared some screenshots of this policy online, and she wasn't happy about it at all. ISH News covered this before, so you can check that out if you missed it.
Public Outcry and Protests [0:25]
After the policy screenshots went viral, people were shocked and started accusing Lenskart of being religiously biased. This made people really angry, and they started protesting in Lenskart stores all over India. They were not happy with the policy that seemed to be against certain religious practices.
Mumbai Incident: Confrontation at Lenskart [0:41]
In Mumbai, Nazia Elahi Khan, who is a BJP Morcha leader and also a Muslim woman, went to a Lenskart store with a camera crew. She called the store manager, Mohsin Khan, who is also Muslim, and accused him of stopping Hindu employees from wearing tilak because of his religion. She even questioned his loyalty to India and brought up Sharia law. Then, she put tilaks on the Hindu staff, tied kalawa on their wrists, and chanted "Har Har Mahadev." She posted the video on X and demanded that Lenskart's owner be arrested.
Protests Spread: Madhya Pradesh, Pune, and Bengaluru [1:58]
This wasn't just a one-off thing. In Madhya Pradesh, a group called Hindu Utsav Samiti went into a Lenskart store, tied kalawas on the employees, and chanted mantras. Videos of this went viral. There were also protests in Pune and Bengaluru, where people gathered outside Lenskart stores, criticising the policy that banned tilak and calling it discriminatory.
Air India Joins the Controversy [2:35]
While all this Lenskart drama was happening, Air India also got into a similar kind of trouble. A handbook for the cabin crew came out, and it had some really strict rules about wearing things like bindi, sindoor, and tilak. Even if they wanted to wear a bindi, it had to be a specific size.
Air India Clarifies Its Policy [3:07]
Just like with Lenskart, people got really upset about the Air India thing. But then, Air India officials said that this handbook was old and they don't follow those rules anymore. They said that the cabin crew can wear what they want and that they respect everyone's culture and beliefs. They asked people not to get the wrong idea.
